Death of London Bagel Museum worker reignites debate over mandatory work-hour records
The suspected overwork death of a 26-year-old employee at the popular bakery chain London Bagel Museum has reignited a fierce debate in Korea over whether employers should be required to track work hours. At the heart of the controversy are questions about the employee’s actual working hours. The 26-year-old, who had been stationed at the company’s Incheon branch, was found dead in the staff dormitory in July, a day after finishing a late shift. The bereaved family alleges he had been pushed to work nearly 80 hours a week, often skipping meals and getting only a few hours of sleep. The company denied the claim, insisting his schedule did not approach 80 hours. It argued that as it operates within fixed business hours, prolonged overtime is unlikely to occur on a regular basis. The labor ministry began an inspection of London Bagel Museum and its Incheon branch on Oct. 29. The government is pushing ahead with plans to mandate work-hour recording, and the labor minister has stressed the need to implement the requirement without delay. “It makes no sense that a country with advanced IT
